Hippie-Bashing in Arambol, India
Now before readers start clacking, “Stop being a hypocrite Little Miss Wasta, you’re hardly in a position to criticise,” allow me to demonstrate all the ways in which I am not, in any way, a tree-hugger of this ilk:
Hippie-Bashing in Arambol, India
1. I enjoy yoga for its physical and mental health benefits and aim to practice in my own time as much as possible.
This practice is done in the privacy of my own room or practice space so that I can hopefully stave off cancer, mental illness, and physical injury from the extreme sports I frequent in my leisure time for as long as possible.
It is not done directly, and quite deliberately, in front of the mass conglomerating at the drum circle every evening (don’t worry I’m addressing that next), so as to show off my new hemp g-string and the lack of creases in my groin to an unwilling audience of families, confused Asian men, and other stupid hippies. You know what you do, please stop.
You know what you do, please stop.
2. Drum circles.
The pinnacle of hippie-dom. These spots serve as the human equivalent to an African water hole, where creatures of all shapes and sizes come out of the woodwork to enjoy a nice refreshing drink–or in our case, a nice invigorating bash on the drums.
So why exactly can no one play the drums?! I have no problem with beginners joining and learning, but if that is the case then surely it falls to the more experienced drummers to experiment with the sound and break up the seemingly endless monotone choir of out-of-time four/four drum abuse?
3. Where are all the actual musicians?
Everywhere you look there are folk walking around with drums and guitars, yet all the venues are desperate for people to play for them. It doesn’t add up.
I know this because I went to perform at an open mic (just me and my ukulele, which isn’t even a proper instrument in my opinion–infinite joyride, yes, proper instrument, no) and I was asked by four different venues to play for them, and had two other musicians want to jam, and this was not because of my dizzying talent, I assure you.
It was simply because there were few who were willing to be genuinely creative and play something other than a wobbly version of Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me”.
4. Where is the respect for the local people?
First I have to deal with the eyesore of trippies (trust fund hippies) that are just as, if not more, punchable than David Cameron and his band of Tory crones, clad in neon tie-dye, saluting the setting sun by fanning their arsecheeks eastwards (a move they probably call something equally intolerable like ‘Shiva’s Spirulina Solace’ ) in an apparent “trance.”
I then have to bite my tongue while they treat local people trying to make ends meet as though they were carrying the Bubonic Plague. Having people try and sell stuff to you is how they make their money, and they have a limited time to do it in.
You are a rich, foreign, tourist. They are the impoverished majority that exists within this developing country.
You are a rich, foreign, tourist. They are the impoverished majority that exists within this developing country. While the sales pitches can inevitably become tiresome from time to time, manners never cost anyone anything. And another thing, a charity exists for stray dogs yet not for stray children–is this a world you want to be part of?!
5. Have some respect for the environment.
I was really shocked by the state of Arambol beach. As we would say in Britain, “It’s minging.”
Granted I am in India, a place hardly famed for its cleanliness but one would have thought that in a more upmarket state such as Goa, in an area that has a large western influence (or more to the point, sees a massive influx of supposedly eco-conscious hippies), the beach would have been in much better shape. But no. I was wrong. I guess litter picking just isn’t any fun.
But no. I was wrong. I guess litter picking just isn’t any fun.
Incidentally, if you don’t believe me and you ever go there, try using ‘the little, shitty, river’ as a point of reference for giving directions.
I guarantee you will you find the exact one using this description alone.
6. To all men who have grown up in Goa: stop trying to put crystals down my pants.
There were four occasions where I had to deal with what became termed the “chakra-porno-massage” by my Spanish companions. This peculiar phenomenon appears to only occur in Goa and is so widespread that following a Skype conversation where I told one of my friends of its incidence, I was subsequently launched into a debate about porno-massage experiences with three other girls in the internet cafe who had overheard me.
So be warned, if anyone tries to ‘cleanse your aura’, ‘realign your heart or genital chakra,’ or tells you that a body massage is absolutely necessary to be able to read your palms–politely decline their kind offer and tell them that you are in fact the spawn of a dark underlord and no amount of massage is going to help.
For those currently attempting to use massage and karma to fleece women into sexual submission, just man-up and ask the girls out.
7. Ban “Balanced View”.
I hate this organization PASSIONATELY. In all honesty, they ruined Arambol. (My word limit will not allow me to explain why which is why you can look forward to a brand new article written in their honour very, very soon.) Just believe me. They are awful.
Maybe I’m being a tad cold, cruel, vicious and jaded. It’s because I am. I blame Balanced View. Arambol isn’t all that bad. The food is all first class and there is an enormously vast array of things to do, making it easy to maintain a good harmony between partying and being pro-active.
If the hippies become too much you can leave for one of the many epic beaches found in Goa, and not everyone you meet there is a soya-munching, self-righteous, new age hippie.
It’s just not the India I was expecting. It’s not India at all in fact.
In fact, some of the best friends I made were a direct result of hippie hatred so there you go. It’s just not the India I was expecting. It’s not India at all in fact. Great for meeting people, slowly integrating yourself into India, and performing (if you actually make it onstage), buying tie-dye items, and learning weird stuff.
Alternative paradise or land of BS? I put it to you to find out yourself.
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On a final note: child rescue ngo’s are constantly being suspected of potential abuse, those operated by foreigners rather source their funding in the west, than exposing themselves to jealousy, weird patriotism or other negativity.
In case you’d like to volunteer some of your time, next stay in Arambol, I’m happy to provide you with contacts.
Goans in particular are very touchy when it comes to foreigners trying to tel them what to do or how to do it, reason for firangs not to stick their poppies out.
All these insights took me seven years to realize and respect, no judgment on you for not getting them in 3 weeks.
Well well, Emily
Did I expect you to falter and admit that you wrote bulls, take it all back and ask the website to unpublish it? No.
But did you expect only “kind” replies? Neither, hm?
Wonder how many of these people you refer to as Hippies, would put this tag on themselves… guess not one.
So let’s not get all uptight, your choice of phrasing prompted as much as did mine.
If you spoke to many a veterans and still haven’t been directed to the places I mentioned, then in fact you met some strange people. Or asked the wrong questions. The reason why so many restaurant owners asked you to play for them might lay in the fact that that the musicians are busy playing in the other venues and they would love to have a slice of the cake.
The abundance of music and art is not only on paper, thats what I tried to make you aware of. But Arambol provides what you ask for and gives what you need , ‘s not different from life, you know. Complaining doesn’t help much. Some platforms are more popular than others… for their own reasons.
People don’t loose their shit all the time. What you’re claiming to be happening all the time I have not even witnessed once in 7 years. Not once. But maybe your exaggerating to illustrate a point.
400 milion living below the poverty line (of earning less than 10Rs/day) to you is “developing”…. O-kay… nuff said.
YYYYes, there are rather unwealthy people jumping on planes to spend 2 weeks as far away from home as possible.. they are called “package tourists”and Goa gets a whole lot more these days, since all politics aim to get rid of Hippies and long-timers, many of them financing their stay with shitty jobs back home, working 6 months and spending this money on Goans and migrant workers, restaurant staff/owners, many of them also just working 6 months out of the year… in Goa, which has the highest per capita income and literacy rate in India… why’s that?
Yea, these darn hippies… not a single one of them cancelling their journey after the Mumbai attacks. Should hammer some sense into their heads finally, putting their lives at risk in such irresponsible manner, being faithful to the families they visited for up to 30 years consecutive.
Yes… Goa is one of the cheapest tropical getaways, not only for Russians but also for many Europeans… not only because of the price for tickets, but living costs…. like… in the bigger picture.
Maybe its you who should inquire and understand before shrieking?
Oh and I’ll take back “bollocks” and replace it with “highly uninformed”, would that politically correct term make you feel any better?
Funny enough that you project anger into my reponse, the ultimate tool to invalidate critics… oh, I angered you, you are blinded by your emotions, thus your judgment is off.
A spade is a spade and your report is poorly researched, does only reflect your personal experience – one of 3 weeks. Oh my, did I just feed a troll? You have a great talent for words, use it to encourage rather than bashing – maybe that’s the entire lesson to be learned from this.
You were “forced” to go to the drumcircle… because it’s the easiest place to meet your friends… who all listen to crappy drum performances, every night… Maybe you should question your choice of acquaintants or do you need to repeat a lesson every night for it to sink in?
If you saw people in g strings performing downward dog looking over their shoulders to check if other people looking at their buttocks, then -trust me- these are highly isolated incidents… all seemed to have come together just for you, dear oh dear, what an unfortunate coincidence… couldn’t calculate the odds of that.
Why oh why do so many people indulge in witnessing failing drummers.. let alone dancing like mad and yelling for more every time they stop? World gone mad I ‘spose…
So you did study Yogic philosophy… with genuine Yogis which you met on your extensive travels after Goa… lucky you. Hope it wasn’t them fake Babas you get sitting in Ramjulah, targetting unsuspecting female pom’s on their spiritual journey, talking in riddles… all I’m saying is that people are people and just because you met a few fakes doesn’t mean that there are no jewels… unfair to judge an entire community of hundreds that built up over more than 3 decades by a rash judgment, all I’m saying really.
Goa IS safer, you’re just not having enough data to compute the fact. Not blaming you, as you only had 3 weeks to render, but a problem if you claim otherwise for personal gain alone.
If you aimed to stir some strong emotions, in order to make… casual tourists get involved in solving the garbage problem of Arambol… then I apologize, thanks for your efforts.
Nobody sane expects people to praise only, at least not if realistic and certainly not when coming back from Goa. But if you pretend that the Hippies, along with Balanced View are the sole root of Arambols troubles, if you claim that Anjuna is that much greater, for whatecer reason, then you’re doing the reality no justice, that’s what I wanted to make you aware of.
Maybe not now, but in your future reports and articles you bear this experience in mind. Discern, research more and when in doubt over an issue, make the reader understand the greater context. It’s easy to take something down, much easier than to build it up. Encourage people to get involved and to co-create. Appeal to their higher selves. The reason why people applaud your report is not necessarily the truth but because you put it in a way which .admittedly. also made me smile. We’re complaining about the condition of Arambol and Goa And India every day, at breakfast, lunch and dinner… but most of us are too caught up in our own personal quest and are facing disproportional problems around us to feel powerful enough to tackle them too.
To make a point here.. all I’m saying is that encouragement goes a lot further than bashing. Sure it’s more difficult. But worth a try.
Dear Emily.. before I start let me ask you: how many times have you been to Arambol and how much time did you spend there?
How much have you travelled the “real India” or the least: how much research went into the making of this review?
Obviously not too much… I don’t get it, please forgive me. I’m about to respond really harsh and take your article apart, bit by bit. So… brace yourself.
You write: “There is an abundance of art and music […] a vibrant and eclectic music scene…” only to ask later “Where are all the actual musicians?” I mean… how coherent is that?
Next: “stupid hippies” I want to really doubt that you actually met a single one, but sweep over the leather-feather-part-time-neo-hippie-crowd and label them with a term you most likely (like myself) are too young to even get a grasp on.
So you do enjoy yoga “for its physical and mental health benefits”…. unfortunately the practice has still to sink in, other you wouldn’t have written such bollocks.
Yoga is not intended to be practiced in the privacy of your chambers alone… most real Yogis are actually lacking something that one may call “home” and given the loincloth they wear over the arsecheeks they point eastbound in most pictures and them being simply naked, smeared with ash alone in most others, I am certain you have never ever seen, let alone met a real Yogi in your entire life. Is this a justification for Western tourists to follow suit? Maybe not, but who are you to judge? Start with yourself and please you stop putting your own mindtrip on everybody else.
The Arambol Drumcircle is a relatively new invention… most unfortunately it has grown to bizarre proportions, just in recent years and I must admit that I had my part in this development. Sadly. True, many if not most (me includinng) should practice more and attend workshops outside the circle… but: it’s not meant to entertain young fe/male backpackers who are too cheap to even hand a bottle of water, let alone a beer or share their spliff with the musicians. You loathe it, leave it… Actually you got about 10k’s of wonderful beach to hang out for sunset, why in gods name do you come there? The circle has become an icon for Arambol and in reality it is only a 50m stretch on an otherwise endless beach. I don’t know about “he pinnacle of hippie-dom”. The circles I have attended elsewhere on the planet where far from being dominated by a patchouli-clad crowd. A drumcircle is a social gathering of people who want to get in touch with a very archaeic element of human spirit. It is not a rock concert, sorry to have disappointed you. I myself am always wondering: we are laying such crap and all these people are not only dancing, they sccream for MORE! How strange indeed. There must be something we’re doing right but you seem to have no access to it… maybe we’re lacking the compressors you find on the electronic trance parties in Anjuna… their endless four/four abuse and whacko mind bending, electronic hounted house sound effects going on for hours and after hours in a stretch seem to appeal more to you than the (admittedly some times) out of beat, man/ handmade tunes. Thank god the beat is breaking up once and so often, only that we start playing the same madness again…. with scores of dancers cheering in delight… what a farce.
Sad to know you had never experienced one of the epic African drumming sessions, with all the amazing (but highly narcisstic) drum experts, the sessions joined by trumpet, sax, belaphone, hang, mandoline, guitar, bass, flute, chants, etc… oh did you miss something to come back for… am suggesting you choose beginning of December/ end of February/ March next time you do.
Coming to your strange question “where are all the actual musicians”? Makes one wonder, if you have been to the same Arambol, the one between Mandrem and Keri, in North Goa… Let’s start with Loekie’s: at least 2 jam sessions/ open mic per week, Revolution: at least 2 concerts per week, Cookie Walla’s regular tuesday session, Back to Nature – once a week, Mohan’s Chai Shop – almost every evening, Sufi Woodstock unfortunately closed down beginning of the season, but hey! epic Sufi Fusion concerts prior to that, then we got Dylan’s with at least one open mic and many spontaneous jams, Magic Park with the regular Sunday session, Totem with a number of concerts, Russian Yoga House and finally Ash… So, let me ask you: shall we put up more for you next season, so we ourselves really loose the idea of where to turn to on which day? Where were you? MAybe nobody wanted to play with you and that’s why you had to put it all down?
Respect, dear… it is something on top of the list of “India’s most wanted”. You should know that, as you have travelled all over India already. Spatial (sp?) awareness is something that simply doesn’t exist, as much as personal boundaries or accepting a friendly “please, would you leave me alone, so I can enjoy my breakfast/ lunch/ dinner/ sunset/ beachtime/ sleep/ conversation with my lover/ holiday/ stroll down the road or travels from A to B”? But you know that already because you have travelled from Thiru to Leh on a train or bus, you have been stared at for a full hour by 50 men, no matter how uncomfortable you were with it and asked them to “please go away”.
How are we, tourists and expats expected to provide for the 400 million, living below the poverty line (income of less than 10 Rs. per day) while our governments are paying billions of taxmoney in direct aid, enabling the Indian government to launch satellites into space, becoming the biggest arms importer on the planet and making them offer financial aid to other Asian and African nations to follow their own political agenda. How are we expected to have our jobs being exported and outsourced to India (and others), as to create a row of multi-billionnaires in this country – who don’t even think of engaging a Paisa in charity. But you do know all this due to your extensive research, don’t you? How do you still think that India is a 3rd world country, when in reality it is only wealth, being extremely bad distributed.
HAve you not witnessed how some (middle class) Indians treat beggars? Some of them, by far the majority is just shooing them away or simply ignore them. The westerners are not used to the persistence and amount of poverty or its extend – and many of them simply freak… can’t blame them.
Tourists are that: tourists. They are not aid workers or volunteers and they have no obligation to fix India. As a matter of fact, many locals would oppose if we were to address the issues of India. But we still are, aren’t we?
Tourists are there to relax. And that is why hawkers on the beach are deemed illegal by their own government – you should see the treatment they receive by local cops if caught…
“You are a rich, foreign, tourist,” by exactly which standards? These people themselves are trying to make ends meet back wherre they come from. The do work in honest 9 to 5, 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year jobs and come to Goa to have 2 weeks of holiday, because they can’t afford to go anywhere else. But maybe I’m ripping facts out of context and put them back the way they suit my opinion… But hardly this behavior can be attributed to Arambol alone. You will find the same in Mandrem, Ashvem, Morjim, Anjuna… all the way down to Canacona. And don’t tell me you opened your pockets every time a beggar pulled your shirt.
“Another thing, a charity exists for stray dogs yet not for stray children–is this a world you want to be part of?!” The world I truly don’t want to be a part of is when people put forth their personal opinions as solid facts. It would have cost you one single question to one of the regulars to learn that there are numerous charity events and concerts, initiatives and foundations in which Westerners engage to better the condition of local children. I myself have donated all proceedings of a festival I organized to the Moving School (for underpriviledged children of migrant workers) and in subsequent years tried to incorporate them in the following activities as much as somehow possible. So yes, I did take offense in your claim and it does reflect in this response… not sorry for it.
Would you know anything about the environment and why it is in such bad shape? Would YOU know where in Arambol the center is, where I and so many friends have our plastic recycled? Would you kow about the innumerous initiatives in the past, put up by Westerners, to clean the beach, put up garbage bins and incinerators. Did you witness the local and national tourists trashing the beaches every Sunday? Do you know that beach shacks are not forced to provide proof about where they dispose their garbage? At the same time did you learn about “Garbage Warriors” or other initiatives? That only now, after local people start having the time AND the money (from tourism, being tired of the foreigners complaints and realizing that many Westerners simply don’t come back any more because it’s so trashed) that here and there some local initiatives are sprouting? But you do know, that garbage is not a Goan/ tourism induced problem, don’t you? You have visited Mumbai and Delhi and other places to know that garbage is a nationwide problem, the government is yet to address.
These “eco-conscious hippies” as you coin them avoided ending up in a straight jacket and resigned. Did YOU pick up cigarette butts or plastic bottles?
Oh, and you certainly have learned about “Nirbaya”, the woman that was gangraped and died afterwards of the injuries the metal rod caused inside her. All Indian women hear your cry to: “stop trying to (get) down my pants”! It is a reality in the rest of India, more than in Goa, but also there it happens and much can be attributed to the fact that Indian men have not yet digested the reality that western women do undress down to bikinis in order to lay in the sun. Did you go into the water in full Saree?
On the other account, I am truly sorry that you and others had to face something that amounts to sexual harrassment. You should expose these men, by name, here or on Facebook or in extreme cases not hesitate to bring it to the attention of the police. But please take a friend when you do and best a male friend – as there have been numerous reports of female victims of rape being sexually assaulted by police officers when they tried to file a report. not as much in Goa, but in the rest of India.
How do you know that “Balanced View” ruined Arambol?
Find me puzzled again… either you do know your ways around Arambol – in which case you wouldn’t have put forth such distorted claims – or you don’t. In which case…. well anyway, I don’t know about them, so I don’t comment on this one.
But maybe you should have manned up and addressed the Arambolites at the open mic in Loekie’s or Dylan’s or maybe at a Balanced View meeting… You may have found that the part time wanna be hippies actually have a lot of humor and can laugh about themselves, can listen, can learn and you would have gotten the attention you (and all of us) so desperately crave.
Arambol is full of narcissists, like any other place on earth… amybe a good tad more than on any other place, given it’s status as being “hip”… but you find no lesser attitudes in Ibiza… only there you would go with different expectations.
So maybe this experience taught you that people are people, may they wear Space Tribe or Chanel, drink Moet or Spirulina, drive Mercedes’ or Enfields.
Personally I’m happy that this place exists and hope it can at least hold the standard it held last season for many years to come. I’m afraid it can’t. Because people come there with high expectations. Indian men come to see Western women, western women seem to come to see…. like… what exactly did you expect to see in Arambol? Oh, “first class food, a enormously vast array of things to do, easy to maintain a good harmony between partying and pro-activeness, an abundance of art and music, a multiplex of workshops in different disciplines ranging from ‘Indian Cooking’ to ‘Tantric Meditation’, a vibrant and eclectic music scene and, being a stone’s throw away from neighbouring party beach Anjuna or the uber-chilled out Querim”.
I for myself must say: the more people come with these kinds of expectations to get something, rather than to contribute something, to take pictures rather than being interesting enough for others wanting to take theirs, to consume rather than to produce, the sooner I will pack my bags and leave the place. It is getting increasingly tiring to accord to these people, to provide an experience for them, so they can escape their sad lives for a short period of time, after whcih they go home, back to their misery, without having realized anything about life, about people and about what it takes to build something up, to compliment rather than tearing it all down and get the glam for bashing others.
It’s up to you, next time
be well
A rather profound answer, Tom. Thank you!
Thank you people!! Glad you enjoyed! I received another really nice comment off a man named Martyn Healer. He writes;
“Hi Emily ,loved your article thought it was spot on and astute and i am an aranbul veteran,lived through the monsoon a few years back with just the villagers in aranbull and spent many a 6 months living there ,but you travelled and saw the real India also ,many people never leave goa,its a bit like a non-stop glastonbury ,too me it is like a nursery school, a kindergarden for the europeans . Keep writing, your style is good,flowing and enjoyable .i will accept your friend request if you wish too link.you are so right about balanced view ,imagine what a poor indian family could do with a 1000$…. you are real not plastic keep up the good work goddess .”
Big Love peeps x
LOL @ ” For those currently attempting to use massage and karma to fleece women into sexual submission, just man-up and ask the girls out.”